Sitting in a Tree
by conjure-at-your-own-risk
Summary: The first major snowfall of the year had to be marred by Capture the Flag and the Hecate Cabin really wanting to win.


**AN: Happy winter! **

**This is for the Veritas first winter Secret Santa. I also really needed something to do this winter besides playing dreidel. **

**Hey, have you ever played? It's awesome!**

**This is for Cheese whose prompts were: platonic; laughter; snowflakes; and psychotic, axe-wielding, killer teddy bear**

**Yes, a killer teddy bear. Wish I thought of that.**

**UK English is used.**

**Edited as of 6/1/12**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Last time I checked, I am a female, sarcastic, and fun-sized. Nice try, but I know that I'm not Rick Riordan. But any characters that you don't recognise are mine.

**Title**: Sitting in a Tree

**Word Count**: 1K

**Summary**: The first major snowfall that year had to be marred by Capture the Flag, and the Hecate Cabin really wanting to win.

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><p><em>Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.<em>

**- The Godfather, Part II (1974)**

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><p>Snow at camp sadly depended on Mr D.<p>

It wasn't fair, nor was it right to deny our childish joy. But to make us all shut up, he allowed a blizzard to enter the camp's borders. Within a night the safe haven for Demigods turned into a winter wonderland that became deadly. Then he told us to leave him alone as he tried to get the high score on Pac-Man.

It was a big one; the events were later.

And we all hated ourselves afterwards.

To celebrate our supposed-victory of wanting snow, one guy had the smart idea of having a Capture the Flag Game that night. With the addition of the minor cabins, the teams were larger. And deadlier. Especially if either side wanted Nike on their team. As secondly leader for the Athena Cabin (Annabeth was in New York during that time), I saw it as my duty to persuade Nike's kids to join an alliance. I brought in charts, statistics of the chances of us winning with them, and bribery.

I never knew how painful it was to be laughed at like that. Within five minutes of my presentation no one was paying attention, and then they laughed at me. So I went to cabin to cabin, setting up feeble alliances and hoping that Annabeth wouldn't be disappointed in me if we lose the game that night.

I was 83% positive that we will. But I never said that to my siblings. Best if they never knew, they would kill me.

Flash forward to during the game. We (Blue Team) were losing painfully to the Red Team. The Ares and Hermes campers were taking too much fun at crushing our spirit. I already lost my right flank and our flag was hidden in plain sight. Which, in fact, was not my plan. I think there was anarchy lose on my team.

I was stuck in a tree, my mittens frozen over with beautiful and horrible ice. I accidentally dropped my bow and arrow when I heard a squirrel and mistaken it for the enemy. And I also couldn't get down because I lost all feeling in my legs. I made a desperate attempt to wiggle some life back in my toes. Ah! They were so cold.

This. Completely. Sucked.

I was freezing. Annabeth was going to kill me. And we were going to lose the—

Did I just saw a walking teddy bear?

I blinked some snowflakes away from my eyes and looked again. Sure enough there was a soft brown bear wielding an axe. It lifted a large head up in my direction, the button eyes dull, raised the axe with supernatural strength and struck at the base of the tree.

Eh? What the Hades?

Thankfully, the axe barely made a notch in the heavy bark. The happy smile stayed and it tried again, only this time the distribution of the weight caused it to fall backwards. Stumpy legs made frantic motions as it struggled to get back up. As my brain was processing this abnormal situation, I noticed how the axe looked familiar in a way.

"Hey, Malcolm!"

Will Solace appeared hanging on a branch near me, a quiver empty of arrows slung over his back, and arms wrapped around a thick and sturdy branch. His head swerved to the teddy bear. "Woah! Isn't that Sherman?"

My mouth dropped as I made the connection. The axe had the mark of Ares inscribed in gold, making the weak winter light glint off it. "Will, what's gong on?"

Will pushed himself up in a push up that would have been impossible for me to do. Now with his legs crouching on the branch, he brushed some snow off his blonde head. "Erm. Does it look like I know?"

"You most likely saw more of the fight than I did."

"True, Tree Boy. And we're losing right now," he said. Then he looked suddenly startled. "Did you (by any stupid chance) partnered up with the Hecate Cabin?"

"Yea…" the word trailed off and into a deadpanned tone. "They didn't."

"I would hate to burst your bubble, but I think they did."

Bitter laughter ripped from my frosted lips. "Annabeth is going to have my head for this."

"It will be from sisterly love, the best death there is." Will said happily. "And now we will be slowly waiting for death by teddy bear-Sherman."

The axe made another thud. Sherman looked up at us, dim hatred showed in those plastic eyes.

Freaky. Very freaky. I was regretting buying one for my mortal half-sister.

"This is going to take a while," I said, shaking my head slowly. "Do you think the Hecate Cabin turned anyone else into plush objects of affection?"

As if to answer my question, the bobbling head of another bear came into view. The bright pink fur was a startled contrast to the whites and greys. It held a long spear with energy cracking at the tip.

No. It couldn't be…But it had to.

"Gods, it's Clarrise," Will's mouth dropped comically. "We're so going to die a painful death."

Something akin to happiness made me feel warmer. "I'm taller than her now. That's one of the few bright sides to this."

Maybe this was all just a dream. The Ares Cabin were turned into teddy bears that wanted our blood, even by my standards this wasn't normal. I mean, they were all now psychotic, axe-wielding, killer teddy bears. But what could I do? My team was beyond my control. I could only wait for the game to end to see what will happen next. That is, if it will ever end.

"Can I tell you what came to mind?" Will asked me.

"What is it?"

"We're sitting in a tree. To someone's eyes this wouldn't be platonic because all we need to do now is K-I-S—" His pathetic attempt of a joke was cut off rather quickly.

Did I felt bad for pushing Will out of the tree to fend off the plush monsters by himself?

No. Not really. He deserved it.

That was how I spent the rest of the evening. I watched Will screamed like a girl, my team losing to killer teddy bears, and I had to think up of a reasonable explanation for when Annabeth came back.

In the wise words of Scrooge: Ba humbug.


End file.
